Spring 2022 - Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE

Seawolf Living seminar teaches students how to stay safe online PAGE 6.

Sonoma State Athletics will be allowing spectators after Feb. 11 PAGE 7.

Childhood trauma and bad parenting manifest themselves in Euphoria PAGE 3.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 86 // ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 1, 2022 - FEBRUARY 7, 2022

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

Sonoma State University moves online temporarily as spring semester starts

COURTESY // Montana Lahey President Sakaki confirmed classes will return in person starting Feb. 12 after the COVID-19 Omicron variant caused the first three weeks of the semester to be held online.

ANA FINGERSON STAFF WRITER

S

pring semester has started and Sonoma State University’s students, faculty, and staff are all anticipating in-person classes and programs. In an update from Sonoma State’s President, Judy Sakaki, posted on Jan. 27, 2022, the campus community was given a look at what to expect for the first few weeks of the semester.

Due to the COVID-19 variant ‘Omicron’ causing cases to rise, classes are temporarily moving online through Feb. 11. Online classes might be more normal now but more than 140 classes were approved for in-person attendance this semester.

Sakaki also announced that 2000 students are returning to the resident halls this semester, as well as admitting 9908 students for the new year. That is 4000 more students than there had been on this date last year.

On Feb. 2, Sakaki sent out a second update confirming in-person classes will start up again on Feb. 12.

Many students remain suspicious around any plans the university

has made for the future, but still remain hopeful.

Tyler Lederle, a first year business major at Sonoma State said, he “is glad to be online for the first few weeks. It’s giving us students time to ease back into school and get back into an actual class setting, which I’m hopeful for. Overall I am excited to be back and can’t wait to see what this semester has in store for me.” Lederle has only been online for college and is looking forward to a more “normal” college experience.

Elijah Harris, a fourth-year history major, is not only a student but an residential advisor on campus. This spring semester of 2022 is Harris’ second semester as an RA. He is awaiting the arrival of many more students by Feb.12.

Although Harris says the three weeks of online classes are “necessary and a good call,” he is excited to finally be back in person.

Going fully online for the past two years has made it harder for him to engage in school activities as well as school in general. He has felt

see START TO SPRING SEMESTER on pg. 4

$11.7 million in lost revenue as enrollment declines WILLOW ORNELLAS STAFF WRITER

S

COURTESY // Lisa Patrick Bentley Lisa Patrick Bentley, associate professor in the Biology department, taking soil samples outside.

SSU professor receives $1.1 million for wildfire research ADDISON SMITH STAFF WRITER

T

o kick off the New Year, Sonoma State’s School of Science and Technology was awarded a $1.1 million grant to study the effects of forest fires on forest health. The grant was from the National Science Foundation and awarded to Lisa Patrick Bentley of the Biology department at Sonoma State. This money went straight to Bentley, who was the Principal Investigator for researching the project. She already has a plan on how to budget the project as well as the smaller sub-projects that come with this research funding. see BIOLOGY GRANT on pg. 4

onoma State University is now facing $11.7 million in lost revenue after another semester of continued declining enrollment.

Approaching the second year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing economic standing of our nation, educators anticipated enrollment numbers would stay down.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, CSU’s have seen a 3.5% decline in enrollment, while SSU saw another 13% decline in enrollment after averaging a 6-8% decline in enrollment every semester since fall 2019.

SSU’s President, Judy Sakaki stated in an email, “There is no danger of Sonoma State closing, but we must do everything we can to try to increase enrollment and meet our targets.”

If Sonoma State continues on this trend of declining enrollment it’s uncertain how much notice students would have in regards to changes in class availability and tuition prices.

“Chancellor Castro has announced there will be no tuition increase for next year,” Sakaki wrote. “Faculty and administrators are working to minimize impacts on class availability to ensure that all students can graduate in a timely fashion.”

“Enrollment at SSU declined most among students who came from outside our region. We also continue to graduate students in larger numbers than ever before, which reduces the overall size of our student body,” wrote Sakaki.

In addition to this, SSU saw the largest increase of transfer students in the last 10 years this past fall, suggesting students that started college see the value in comsee ENROLLMENT on pg. 4

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Myles Grabau, Editor-in-Chief Maych Rowell, News Editor Emily Cripe, Opinion Editor Cléa Upcher, Arts & Entertainment Editor Isabel Epstein, Student Life Editor Nicholas Roth, Health & Sports Editor Dana Scacco, Photo Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Advisor

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Students faced with harsh restrictions and concerns as inperson instruction resumes

Staff Writers Willow Ornellas, Addison Smith, Ana Fingerson, Khanh Dao, Payton Mullaney, Rosalee Padilla, Holly Durfee, Jacqueline Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Rachel Yetso, Jake Morrissey, Tanner Ivey

Photographers Montana Lahey, Mikayla Fritzemeier, Noah Clarke

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article:

“University art gallery reopens after hiatus” Read the article on page 5.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to hear from you!

The STAR welcomes letters to the editor

O

ver the past couple of weeks since the Spring 2022 semester started, there have been 10 different emails informing students about the “COVID-19 positive cases on campus,” followed by a standard few paragraphs about how to stay safe from transmission of the virus. With the new Omicron variant looming, there have been a couple of scattered emails informing students of how SSU’s administration has decided to follow through with the remainder of the semester.

At first, the administration had decided that it would be best for students to attend classes remotely through Feb. 11, closely following the Sonoma County Department of Public Health’s health order, which “restricted gatherings of large groups of people.” As we begin the transition back to fully in-person instruction, students are left wondering if this will help things return back to a sense of normalcy, or if it will cause the spread of the Omicron variant to trend in an even worse direction.

COVID-19 restrictions and regulations were introduced in the Fall 2021 semester as SSU returned to a “hybrid format”, such as restricted dorm visitations and an “All Clear” message on the Health Portal being required to be shown before entering campus buildings.

However, many of these restrictions were not enforced, and it truly shows a valid concern for how we are going to move forward as a campus community to construct a safe and productive environment for all students. This begs the question of who it should be up to in an effort to enforce and follow these regulations: the school, or the students themselves.

With Sonoma State’s administration deciding to go through with a return to in-person learning, this change comes with some serious restrictions for students. In a quote from Susan Presto, the Area Coordinator for Tuscany Village, she stated that, “...with the current state of things, the number of positive cases on cam-

STAR // Jacob Loher

pus and the amount of students having to go into isolation/quarantine due to close contact or symptoms, SSU has temporarily restricted guests from our residential spaces.” With these changes quickly going into effect, students are left without a choice of staying in the comfort of their own home for the semester, and are forced to subject themselves to an altered version of the “college experience,” for better or for worse.

As much as the university’s administration is expected to uphold and enforce these restrictions and regulations, students should also be expected to look out for their own safety and protect others around them from worsening the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Sonoma State’s student body is widely made up of adults that can make their own decisions, so it’s partially up to the students to be closely following the guidelines that the school has set in place. If these expectations prove to be unrealistic, then we should really be asking ourselves why it is a good idea to return to in-person learning in the first place. In essence, doesn’t a decline in positive cases suggest that having students learn remotely is effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19?

Fundamentally, the move back to in-person learning might be a relief for some, but it might be coming at a much more troubling and overwhelming time for a lot of students as well. While there is no way to please everyone involved, we might be having a completely different conversation if SSU’s administration had decided to reach out to students about what direction classes should go instead of making the ultimate decisions for them. As we move forward and transition back to in-person learning yet again, it’s important for our campus community to look at what other types of lessons we can take from this and how we can learn from them and come back even stronger than before.

Publication The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Sonoma Media Group. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR Editorial Board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.

Letters to the Editor

Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 400 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication.

COURTESY // @sonomastateuniversity on Instagram

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers. The board encourages readers to write letters to the editor about all topics, including the editorial.

Opinion 3

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

College admissions essays exploit applicants’ trauma

ROSALEE PADILLA

STAFF WIRTER

S

pringtime marks the flood of college acceptance letters posted all across social media platforms, yet nobody talks about what it takes to get accepted into these so-called esteemed institutions. Keep up your grades, be involved in extracurriculars and, apparently, expose all of your traumatic experiences.

It seems that over the years, trauma dumping in personal essays has become increasingly encouraged. High school teachers and counselors influence their students to write about such experiences and claim that doing so will somehow showcase a students’ ability to overcome adversity.

Unfortunately, these tactics can be detrimental to one’s personal well being. What happens when students bare all of this personal information and then receive a rejection letter? Is their trauma not valid enough?

Students should be influenced to write about their passions and interests instead of being forced to unload all of their traumatic experiences.

Sonoma State student Madison Dwyer

explained that there is an unspoken truth to what one writes about in order to get into college.

Dwyer recalled discussing extreme social anxiety when applying to school in 2019 and even went as far as explaining what tactics she used to continuously work through this obstacle. She said, “My essay was deeply personal, it feels strange to even discuss it now, but I mainly just wrote about working through my parents divorce.”

From Dwyer’s short interview, it’s alarmingly clear that these college essays serve to cause more trauma than their worth. There shouldn’t be so much pressure to thoroughly discuss such personal events.

In 2021, The New York Times featured a guest essay from high school senior Elijah Megginson that discussed similar experiences. Megginson described how teachers would frequently say, “You’re smart and you’re from the projects, colleges will absolutely love you.”

Comments like these served only to devalue Megginson’s identity and focus only on financial background.

In reviewing the above examples, it seems that equating one’s value to their trauma has become a very common theme in the realm of college applications. This is of particular importance when discussing people of color and their experiences applying to universities.

In an article from The Daily Free Press, which is a student run newspaper at Boston University, Ariel Stein discusses how students of color feel pressured to become poster children for their pain in order to secure

college admissions.

College campuses are supposed to serve as communities that uplift students and allow them to be free thinkers. It becomes an institutional issue when people of color feel pressured to conform to a certain standard in order to be admitted into college. This only serves to reinforce stereotypes and can be detrimental to a students well being.

In an interview with a student from Fullerton Junior College, Savannah Blocher recalls how there was this looming pressure to prove that she had been through adversity and grew from the trauma. This brings up another essential idea to remind all students, it is perfectly okay to still be actively trying to overcome adversity. There shouldn’t be so much pressure to write about major traumatic experiences. Our trauma does not define who we are. Instead students should be continuously encouraged to write about anything they feel particularly passionate about, afterall college is all about creating a safe space to truly be individuals.

As students, it is very important to remember that mental health matters and value is not calculated by how traumatic one’s childhood was. By acknowledging the link between trauma dumping and personal college essays, there can be an increased push towards discussing more positive aspects of life, like hobbies and passions. This should not take away from the validity of trauma and your right to discuss these experiences.

However, it should no longer be a concept that is so frequently encouraged by individuals in positions of authority, such as teachers, counselors, or professors.

tainment of dark drama and how explicit the show can be, but it seems as though many miss one of the main themes of the show: how childhood trauma and bad parenting affect kids as they grow up.

Every child looks up to their parents, and the parents in Euphoria are terrible role models. Euphoria provides deep commentary on many hard topics, and the issue of how one’s environment affects development is one of the larger ones that hides in the shadows of drug abuse and sex scandals.

One fellow Sonoma State student shared her perspective, saying, “Euphoria focuses it’s storyline through the perspective of Rue, a drug addict. Many of the situations and experiences presented in the show, such as anxiety, young adults sending sexual content amongst others, and the use of drugs, is all simply real. However, in today’s world, we just sweep things under the rug so it’s not a big deal.”

At times these situations are being constantly brushed aside, or put on someone else’s plate to deal with. Given these

aspects, maybe the best way to do so is to take it one step at a time. Try to break the ice with the conversation, and create a safe environment of support and care. Over time, the subject of mental health and the importance of a safe environment will be normal.

As they walk through the school’s crowded hallways, filled with daily teenage gossip, high ego jocks, book smart nerds, and self-centered mean girls, the characters are all trying to find purpose and self-identity in their own lives. However, the journey is not as easy as it seems, with the pressures of wanting, to be seen, heard, and wanted is a feeling every high school student yearns for amongst their peers and families.

Regardless of how they feel, there’s always a willingness to compress emotions, anxiety, trauma, and being true to themselves, they turn to the excessive use of drugs, sex, and alcohol. Hoping and yearning for all the layers of pain to peel away.

Yet the numbness and feeling of hope only last for a moment.

Childhood trauma and bad parenting in Euphoria

KHANH DAO

STAFF WIRTER

E

uphoria is the latest and greatest new series in HBO’s arsenal and has been the talk of the town since its second season began airing on Jan. 9. The series follows Rue Bennett, a 17 year-old drug addict who shares her perspective on the lives of her fellow classmates. As the series progresses, it is made clear that each character struggles with various forms of trauma, and when it’s examined more closely, the main root of the problem comes from the adults, not the teens.

Many people find interest in viewing the HBO series simply for the enter-

COVID-19 test shortage ‘solution’ falls short

PAYTON MULLANEY STAFF WIRTER

A

s the world continues to adjust to pandemic life, it’s now considered normal to have to get tested before attending gatherings. The current problem with this adaptation is that COVID-19 tests are nowhere to be found, and the government’s solution is to allow one set of four tests to be ordered per household. While this sounds like an apt solution, college students living in dorms and off-campus housing filled with roommates are finding the four per household deal falls short.

On January 18, Joe Biden launched a program that would allow each household to order one set of four at-home COVID-19 tests.

The catch is that only one person from each

household can order one per home address, so once one has been ordered, nobody else at that address can get one.

Four tests seems like a fair option for each household on the surface, as that is the average household size in America, but college students often live with up to six people, sometimes more. Although free tests are a great resource, allowing one set of four tests for households containing more than four people feels like a slap in the face.

Aliyah Arreola, a first year student at Sonoma State, thought she could order her four tests for her campus roommates, like the email sent out by the university said. However, it did not happen as she expected it to.

Arreola expressed that she was frustrated trying to order tests for her household, as it seems someone had already purchased the allotted one pack of four, even though none of her roommates were able to do so. Not being able to get tests for on-campus households has been something that has caused Arreola and her roommates, as well as many other college students, so much anxiety and stress.

While a somewhat normal college experience seems to be on the horizon, it remains just out of reach due to this shortage of COVID-19 tests. Students are stuck between a rock and a hard place under these circumstances, as return to in-person instruction is set for Feb. 12 at SSU, and access to COVID-19 testing is an essential part of keeping everyone safe.

Another student, Jenna Restuccia, lives in the SSU dorms and said, “I live with four roommates plus myself, so we don’t even get the option to have enough tests.”

She also said, “It makes it hard to feel safe and healthy when I cannot get a test because some of my roommates are not vaccinated,” which is why she tries to make it to the on campus testing when available.

While on-campus testing is an excellent resource, scheduling can be difficult and testing is only currently available to those actively experiencing symptoms. The only solution here is to allow each person to order a test kit, as this would ensure there’s enough to go around.

Overall, the shortage of COVID-19 tests is affecting everyone, but the fact that a supposed solution to the issue is not doing anything to help college students is unfair and concerning.

4 News

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

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Enrollment numbers drop over 13% since Fall 2019 continued from pg. 1

COURTESY // Dr. Lisa Patrick Bentley SSU’S Dr. Bentley takes cautionary measures before going to work.

pleting their degrees and Sonoma State’s ability to deliver that dream, explained Sakaki.

Heidi Nelson, a 34-year-old communications and media studies major said, “This is the first semester I’ve had an actual oncampus class and it’s dead. I know it’s a combination of the pandemic, the economy, and people’s availability but it’s concerning to not see people on campus.

I’m hoping that changes in a few weeks but if it doesn’t, how do we fill these spaces?”

Sakaki explained what SSU is doing to fill these spaces. “The Office of Strategic Enrollment is engaging in a number of activities to increase enrollment, including recruiting across the state of California and out of state, enhancing relationships with community colleges, ending impaction in a number of majors,

and offering recruitment scholarships to new students.”

The pandemic accelerated a decline that began back in 2016.

Some people think campus related crime could be contributing to this decrease in enrollment.

Jill Knowlton, former alumni and parent of two current SSU students thinks campus related crime could be deterring prospective students.

“I think the community reputation of Sonoma State has gotten better over the years, but I don’t think it helps that they’ve found dead bodies on campus. Parents get very paranoid about crime so when they’re researching schools for their kids and they don’t know anything about Rohnert Park or Sonoma county and they see that when they Google the school, it doesn’t look good,” said Knowlton.

First professor at SSU to receive grant from NSF continued from pg. 1

According to Bentley, “The overall goal of this research is to integrate research with education in novel ways to increase scientific literacy and public engagement around the topic of wildfire while promoting inclusion, accessibility and equity.”

She wants to introduce new ways of learning about wildfires such as implementing virtual reality in fourth through sixth grade students at Loma Vista Immersion Academy in Petaluma. The VR side of teaching opens up brand new frontiers within the scientific community and gives them new ways to learn through a medium that hasn’t really been utilized as much.

This $1.1 million shows that Sonoma State can compete at a national level for grants. The National Science Foundation is a highly competitive grant and Bentley is hopeful that this will put SSU ‘on the map’ and show that Sonoma can be recognized at the national scale. She wants to emphasize and acknowledge the 3DForests team members work that went into the proposal which was a “huge contribution of intense field work and lab work” which ultimately helped define the project and won the school the money from both the NSF and CALFIRE’s Forest Health Program.

The Dean of the School of Science and Technology, Elisabeth Wade, mentioned in an interview that “the more experience you have in the departments and the school will allow you the opportunity to receive this grant which usually means the more successful they tend to be with an NSF grant…I am very proud of Bentley for re-

ceiving and competing for this highly prestigious grant.” The grant will go on to help biology students at Sonoma State learn and document recent landscapes devastated by forest fire within a safe environment such as virtual reality or controlled environments free from the dangers imposed by areas affected by wildfire.

Receiving this grant, Bentley became the first person at SSU to receive the money. She believes that this will hopefully open the doors for other professors to receive this grant or some similar grant which will overall help Sonoma State reach its goal of expanding and broadening field work and expand on opportunities for a more diverse group of students.

Bentley is excited for her research into forest fire health, as well as having the opportunity to mentor underrepresented minority first-year Biology students and graduate students in a virtual “field trip”. This field trip will integrate information related to climate change, local tree species, fire fuels, and land management. After going through the student program, the field trip will then be adapted for public outreach at SSU Fairfield-Osborn Preserve and the previously mentioned fourth through sixth grade students at a Spanish-immersion school.

With public outreach, Bentley hopes to allow younger generations to learn with a new medium: Virtual Reality. This new type of medium will allow for students, as well as the public, to address real-world issues related to wildfire via a virtual environment.

COURTESY //Dean Hollis Robbins Data showing SSU enrollment numbers from 2010 through 2022.

Knowlton isn’t the only one concerned about campus-related crime.

“I’m concerned that the level of crime on and around the SSU campus is a factor in our level of enrollment right now. It’s something I would’ve liked to know more about before I enrolled here,” Nelson said.

Three bodies have been found on campus since 2016, but they were not all students.

The first was that of 18-yearold Kirk Kimberly, whose remains were found buried in a shallow grave around 200 yards west of parking lot “M” in Oct. 2016. Kimberly was not a student at Sonoma State, but was a local resident of Sonoma County.

The second body was discovered in the butterfly garden in Feb. 2021 and belonged to Saul Morales-Ramirez, a 23-year-old Rohnert Park resident. MoralesRamirez was also not a student at Sonoma State.

Also, the 2018 annual campus security report shows that there was one additional case of on-campus non-negligent manslaughter taking place in the resident housing.

Sonoma State’s incident rate in 2019 was 9.51 reports per 1000 students. This rate is comparable to other CSU schools.

While Santa Rosa Junior College is located just nine miles away, the school‘s incident rate is contrastly less, with 2.2 reports per 1000 students.

Higher incidents of reported crime can also indicate stricter law enforcement and reporting.

A 2019 audit of Sonoma State revealed the school failed to maintain accurate daily crime logs as required by the Clery Act. This led to the exclusion of three crimes from the 2019 annual security report, including an oncampus sexual assault.

“The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put into place to improve campus safety,” read the Clery Center website.

SSU’s failure to accurately report crime on a campus that already has a higher incident report rate doesn’t provide the community with an accurate understanding of campus safety.

According to an article from the Press Democrat from Sep. 2020, in the greater Sonoma County area, crime rates fell by 22% between 2010 and 2019, however since the start of the pandemic, crime rates are starting to rise yet again.

Students excited to return to campus as first three weeks of the semester are held online continued from pg. 1

a set back and is looking forward to seeing his hard work result in a degree in May. “I’m just trying to get my degree and if being in person is what we’ve got to do, then those are the cards I was dealt with,” says Harris. Harris’ resilience, like many other students’, shows as he finds motivation to graduate in the next few months regardless of not knowing what could happen at any moment.

The university will still be monitoring wellness screenings and cases. Sakaki writes in her latest update, “Our Office of Emergency Services will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends to ensure safety protocols continue to protect the health of our campus community.”

Cases may still be rising and the future is largely unknown, but faculty, staff and students are doing what they can to keep themselves and each other safe. In order to ensure safety and make sure

transitioning to in-person goes well, Sonoma State is requiring all staff, students, and faculty who are going to be accessing programs and classes to receive their booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by Feb. 28, 2022.

There are many emotions and thoughts about finally getting to be in a classroom setting again. Skeptical of steady plans in the future, the SSU community is still finding motivation to move forward.

Dante Leonardo, a Psychology major, leaves us with an analogy that brings light to these serious circumstances without diminishing the serious impact it has on everyone. “Funny enough, going back in person is almost like playing ping pong, staying consistent is the key to success.”

5 Arts & Entertainment

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Student Involvement kicks off ‘DIY Craft of the Week’ for the Spring semester

JACQUELINE GARCIA STAFF WRITER

Student Involvement held its first DIY Craft Of The Week at Weyden + Brewster in the Student Center on Saturday, Jan. 29, kicking off their in-person events for the Spring semester.

Weyden + Brewster was taken over by Student Involvement on Saturday night from 7-8 p.m., offering students the opportunity to decorate their own mason jar. Various supplies were provided, from markers, stickers, and glitter to colorful pebbles and feathers. The materials were spread out on various tables, giving each student the opportunity to flex their creativity, and take a mental load off after the beginning of a new semester.

“Starting your first year of college during a pandemic can bring a lot of challenges… It’s important to have these types of in-person, Covid friendly events that not only help to destress from classes, but are a great way to build a community and get out there,” stated Hailey Glass, a second-year music major, and one of the onsite Student Involvement members. Along with Megan Bressl, both of whom paid a lot of attention to detail in regards to bringing the event to life.

Walking into the event, students were greeted and given quick directions about where they should sit, and where the supplies were located. Seating arrangements were flexible to accommodate different attendees. The event attracted a well-rounded crowd of friend groups and individuals alike, with a good time seemingly had by all; whether it was a group get together or a solo excursion, everyone was taken care of. Due to the pandemic, no snacks or drinks were provided for attending students. However, students were encouraged to bring their own, with snacks like cookies, pizza, chips, donuts, and even Starbucks making an appearance.

“I heard about the event through a friend. All they said was to bring snacks, and the rest is free. Who doesn’t love free stuff?” said Miachla Chaela, a third-year English major. These events are often perfectly timed and spaced out to give students a space to take a break from their studies.

The night’s success eventually led to a shortage of jars. Members of Student Involvement acted quickly, getting on the phone and resolving the issue in no time, ensuring everyone had the option of decorating a second jar. Sophie Kaleta, a fourth-year early childhood development major who attended the event, mentioned, “I always have a great time at an event like this. It gives me a chance to have creative freedom with no real pressure, which is an awesome way to destress from the week.”

Everyone in attendance seemed to be relaxed, content, and enjoying themselves to the fullest. It was clear that this evening was a success for Student Involvement as well as for the students who chose to participate.

Student Involvement will continue to host different DIY crafting activities every Saturday night from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Weyden + Brewster in the Student Center throughout the spring semester. Upcoming crafts include bottle cap letter art, hat decorating, and rock painting inspirational messages. Student Involvement also hosts other events during the weekend, with another popular series being Friday Night Live, bringing students events like Free Grocery Bingo. Check out SSU’s Engage website or the Seawolf Living “Events” tab to learn more about SI’s engaging and upcoming events.

STAR // Montana Lahey Anjali Wilkes is in the zone while working on her mason jar craft project.

STAR // Montana Lahey Jacob Gino works passionately on his mason jar during the DIY Craft of the Week event.

University Art Gallery re-opens after nearly two-year hiatus

HOLLY DURFEE STAFF WRITER

as oil paintings, mixed media, acrylics, pastels, and photography, as well as three-dimensional forms, including sculptures and ceramics. QR codes linked to a bidding platform called Livesoure.com allowed in-person attendees to bid through their mobile devices and permitted those who were unable to make it to the event to place bids too. At the time of this article, several pieces have already been purchased, with some items receiving bids as high as $1,700. Former SSU art professor Mark Perlman had the highest bid piece. Perlman’s encaustic on panel titled Neighbor (2021), is a blend of abstract impressionism and colored field. His radiant encaustic paintings have been displayed all throughout the Bay Area and around the United States for 40 years. The ceramics and sculptures in the exhibit included bowls, a pit-fired vessel, a cat, Raku Heads, and an extravagant teapot as well as various abstract forms.

For those who missed the debut viewing of the gallery, the next show will be called A Beautiful Mess, Weavers, and Knotters of the Vanguard, which will run from Feb. 24 through Apr. 10 at the University Art Gallery.

To stay updated on this event and future events, visit The University Art Gallery page through the SSU website or on Instagram @ssu_uniCOURTESY //artgallery.sonoma.edu versityartgallery.

SSU’s “Art from the Heart” is one of many long-standing traditions through the school.

T

he 38th annual Art from the Heart benefit auction reopened the University Art Gallery’s doors after being shut down for 2 years due to COVID. The exhibition took place between Feb. 2 and Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and showcased a variety of artistic mediums from local Sonoma County artists. All proceeds from the auction go directly to the gallery and help fund various lectures and programs for students.

Speaking about the Covid closure and reopening, Art History Interim Director and Lecturer, Jennifer Bethke, PhD, said, “We are so excited to be back open again…it was really hard to be closed. We were running exhibitions online… We were putting stuff up on our gallery website, which is just not the same. It’s really nice to have art hanging on the walls again and have the doors open, and have people visiting. It’s fantastic.”

Although circumstances are different this year, many people have still visited the gallery. “The turnout in the gallery during the day has actually been really great,” Bethke stated. “We are getting 40 or 50 people everyday which is really nice, so people are still committed to coming and seeing the work even though the format is kind of different this year. So we are really excited about that.”

Sonoma County resident and former Sonoma State student Shane Micheli shared his experience with the show, “This was my first time seeing the show. There seems to be quite an eclectic taste in curation.

There’s definitely diversity. If you were bidding on art, there would be a COURTESY // Mark Perlman at the Sonoma State University Art Gallery good chance that you would be able to affix to a piece.”

The variety of artwork consisted of two-dimensional mediums such Perlman’s painting, Neighbor (2021) is an encaustic painting done on panel.

6 Student Life

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves learn how to stay safe online through Seawolf Living seminar

JAVIER HERNANDEZ

STAFF WRITER

W

hen people think of stalking or what it means to have a stalker, they usually think of someone who hides in the dark without trying to be noticed. What many people don’t realize is that stalkers are now able to do these things from the comfort of their home without ever having to even step a foot outside.

On Jan. 26, Seawolf Living hosted an online seminar on digital stalking called “Staying Safe When Stalking Goes Digital”. The event was presented by guest speaker and founder of EndTAB (Ending Tech-Enabled Abuse), Adam Dodge.

Dodge’s purpose in speaking at this seminar was “to get people to start to look at their physical safety and digital safety as the same” by exploring different ways to prevent and respond to the potential dangers that technology and social media pose.

Dodge’s hour-long presentation dove deep into stalking and the red f lags that are presented during this new era of social media. His presentation included many different definitions and examples of threats posed by technology which include cyberstalking, hate speech, revenge porn, hacking and more.

This new digital world has made it extremely easy for people to access one’s most basic information without them even knowing. Computers store information about the websites you visit and messages or emails can be retrieved. Cell phones can be used to track your location and retrieve call and text history.

Online stalking is extremely easy to do and people face little to no repercussions because they are behind a screen without having to worry about an in-person confrontation.

“When stalking goes digital it’s often more harmful.

Things are permanent when they go online, so posting things, making threats, or doing all these things online aren’t just a moment of time and then we move past it.

It’s permanently etched on the internet,” said Dodge Dodge defined being “digitally safe” as a checklist of three separate things. The first is access, where one must be able to access their devices, accounts and the internet freely. The second is control where one must have total control over all of their devices and accounts. The third is existence where one must be able to be themselves on the internet without having any fear. If you don’t have all three then you can’t confidently say that you are digitally safe and is a signal of a deeper issue that should be explored.

Dodge additionally introduced a website called

COURTESY // @adamrdodge on Instagram Knowing how to keep yourself digitally safe can save yourself from online abuse, being hacked and more.

https://haveibeenpwned.com where you can type in your email address accounts and see if it has ever been leaked through a data breach. In data breaches, people can gain access to all of your personal information, including passwords. This becomes a problem if you use the same password for multiple accounts because hackers now have access to these accounts without you even knowing.

“I think what hit differently for me is that kids and adults are making decisions online that they would never make in person. We need to be as aware about digital safety just as much as we are about physical safety”, said Mo Phillips, director of student involvement.

Some resources for students who may be experiencing online stalking include Sonoma State’s OPHD (Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination), the Confidential Advocacy and SSU’s campus police.

Internship and volunteer opportunities available through CALPIRG RACHEL YETSO

I

STAFF WRITER

f you are passionate about the environment and social justice, then students are welcomed to take a stand for what you believe in with the California Public Interest Research Group. The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) at Sonoma State is offering internship and volunteer opportunities to students, with both in-person and virtual options.

CALPIRG Students is a statewide student directed and funded organization with a mission to develop a new generation of activists ready to promote social change and progress in America. Stated on the CALPIRG website, for nearly 50 years, the program has helped students get organized, mobilized, and energized so they can continue to be on the cutting edge of positive change.

CALPIRG combines the idealism of students with the expertise of professional staff who work alongside students to do research, education, and grassroots organizing for the public. The organization originated within the UC colleges, but is beginning to branch out into California State Schools, including San Diego State, Cal Poly SLO, Cal State LA, Occidental, and now Sonoma State.

Collectively across the country, campus clubs have registered hundreds of thousands of students to vote, saved students $40 million creating open source textbook programs and more than 12 universities to sign a pledge to eliminate single use plastics on campus.

Student intern Teo Minkoff said, “We do this work because students are often at the forefront of movements to build a better future for our country… CALPIRG Students allow students like me to be part of a coordinated effort, working with other students on our campus, across the state, and throughout the country. That’s the kind of action that can bring about real change on issues that really matter.”

The program focuses on issues such as saving the bees, banning single use plastics, voter registration and affordable education. With more interns and volunteers, the program wishes to expand further into more campaigns and welcomes different campaign ideas and exploring areas of interest.

This semester, the Sonoma State CALPIRG program is helping save the bees by making campus more pollinator friendly to become a certified, “Bee-Friendly Campus,” along with other national campaigns that students can choose to participate in. The program is run by an all student board of directors who decide which campaigns to prioritize and focus on, and any student can bring campaign ideas to the statewide board.

Internship criteria includes 10-15 hours of work per week attending weekly activism classes, leading campaigns, recruiting volunteers, getting media attention, and planning events within the organization.

Interns and volunteers of the program will work closely with a professional staff member who will train and educate students to run strategic and effective campaign techniques.

The internship program also offers course credit to fulfill any

COURTESY // @calpirg_ucb on Instagram 1.56 billion masks were estimated to pollute our oceans by the end of 2020. CALPIRG students work towards protecting both the environemnt and the community.

graduation and degree requirements. Although the program is student funded, members are not required to pay a pledge fee if not financially capable. Membership fees are voluntary.

Applications for internships and volunteer opportunities are open now through the CALPIRG website https://actionnetwork.org/forms/getinvolved-calpirg-students-interest-form. Students of all majors and backgrounds are welcome to apply.

Students interested in learning more about CALPIRG may attend an informational meeting on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. Sign up for the meeting by contacting Sydney Kale, the coordinator for Sonoma State CALPIRG, at skale@calpirgstudents.org.

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Sports

7

Softball tabbed second in CCAA pre-season poll, wins 3 of 5 in first tournament.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Junior infielder Giana Hays led the Seawolves to a successful weekend at the Concordia Kickoff Classic where she hit .538 with two triples. The Seawolves won three out of five games that they played.

TANNER IVEY STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Softball team, led by Head Coach Jennfier Bridges, are ready to return to the field after finishing second in the CCAA Preseason Poll in 2022. The Seawolves aim to pick up right where they left off in the 2020 season, where they finished 17-8 overall and 12-4 in conference play which included a 12 game winning streak.

The team is as strong as ever with returners such as catcher Jordyn Martninez who boasted a .318 BA, along with 5 HR’s and 22 RBI’s in the 2020 season. Other key returners include Giana Hays who led the team with a .339 BA and star pitcher Nichole Sarra who had a 3.43 ERA in 33 innings pitched. On top of this strong core, the Seawolves also welcome 12 new players that will help this team with a run at the national championship.

With the Concordia Kickoff Classic in the rearview mirror, Bridges felt confident going into the weekend. With teams like the Concordia Eagles and Chico State, the number one team in the CCAA preseason poll, this tournament is far from simple. “It will not be an easy tournament to welcome us back,” says Coach Bridges, “but we are excited, we plan to be very competitive and come home with some wins.” They did just that, winning three of the five games they played this past weekend.

Bridges has always had a good gadge on her team, leading the Seawolves to nine NCAA tournament appearances and three CCAA tourna-

ment championships over a ten year span. In her career at Sonoma, Bridges has yet to lead the team to an under .500 season and has kept the team at fifth place or above over her career as a Seawolf. With this in mind, Bridges is grateful to be placed second in the CCAA Preseason Poll but looks forward to taking that number one spot by the end of the season. She understands the pressures of high expectations and knows her team will be able to overcome any obstacle. “We are a program of high expectations, so the athletes are experienced at performing with high standards and will push to meet the highest achievable goals,” said Bridges.

Although 2020 was cut short, the Seawolves seemed poised to make a deep postseason run after a blazing start. In the 25 games the Seawolves played the team averaged a .283 batting average along with a whopping 26 home runs, ten more than any other team in the conference. On the other side of the ball, the Seawolves pitching staff had a combined 2.70 ERA giving them the fourth best ERA in the conference. The goal for this upcoming season is to keep that same energy and chemistry from two years ago.

The Seawolves kicked off against the Hawaii Pacific University Sharks in Irvine California on Friday Feb 4, and kept their winning ways going with a 4-3 win. The Lady Seawolves went to win three of their five games.

The Lady Seawolves return home February 10th to play Holy Names University at 12:00 p.m.

Sonoma State Athletics to allow spectators at games starting Feb 11 JAKE MORRISSEY

D

STAFF WRITER

ue to the recent surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Sonoma State has been forced to close off their home sporting events from fans until Feb 11. This comes as the result of the recent health order that was issued by Dr. Sundari Mase, the Sonoma County Public Health Officer. This order restricts large gatherings of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors in Sonoma County. The order went into effect on Jan. 12 and, if all goes as planned, will end Feb. 11, via sonomaseawolves.com.

The plan for Sonoma State athletics is once the recent health order has run its course, the teams will welcome fans back into their games. Once this happens Sonoma State will go back to their usual protocol for spectators that were in place during Fall 2021. This means proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test from the past 72 hours will be required to enter the game. Masks must be worn at all times during all sporting events as well.

“My ideal scenario would be stands filled with students with a rejuvinated Sonoma State campus spirit,” said Annaloro. “Supporting our student-athletes during competition is a great way to build energy on campus, bring people together, and establish campus pride.”

The health order will cause many of the Sonoma State sports teams to be without fans to kick off the start of the new semester. Men’s and women’s basketball will have five games each at home with no fans, along with two baseball games and one softball game. This is certainly not the way any of these teams planned on starting the semester, surely all players, coaches and fans would love to have Seawolves filling the stands.

“My roommate is on the baseball team,” said junior business major, Dominic Salerno, “I am excited to go watch his games.”

This seems like a step backwards in terms of getting back to normal from COVID, as fans were allowed at games all last semester before the Omicron variant put a hold on things. However, once the new health order ends Sonoma State can start moving in the right direction again. SSU Head Athletic Director Nicole Annaloro still remains optimistic on the

situation.

Annaloro also wanted to remind sports fans to come out and support the teams after the new health order ends on Feb.11. All fans should download the Seawolves app for current rosters, schedules, video streamlines, and more. SSU will be implementing a fan reward system to encourage all fans, whether they are a student or not, to come support the SSU athletics program.

Sonoma State will welcome fans back to their sporting events on Feb 12 and encourages all supporters to come out. The first games that will be open to fans will be basketball vs. Dominguez Hills and Baseball vs. the Academy of Art. All home games are also available to be livestreamed.

This can be done on the CCAA Network app for $9.95 a month, via sonomaseawolves.com.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Graduate student Jacob Salinero, drives to the hoop in silence on Jan. 29, as spectators are not allowed back until Feb. 11.

8

Photo

FEB. 1 - FEB. 7, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Spring semester kicks off with an empty campus

STAR // Montana Lahey With Spring semester starting online, several students make their way to study at the library. It was recently announced that in-person instruction will resume Feb. 12.

STAR // Montana Lahey A few Seawolves walk through the empty campus while school is still online. In a few weeks, the campus will be open in-person and robust with energy.

DIY Craft of the Week: Mason jar decorating

STAR // Montana Lahey Alyssa Watts takes some to time to detail and perfect her mason jar creation.

STAR // Montana Lahey Sophie Kaletal (left) and Alyssa Watts (right), enjoying some friendly conversation while crafting their mason jars

STAR // Montana Lahey Audrey Hauser, Sarah Davey, Anahi Guzman, and Anjali Wilkes came for the fun but stayed for the mess at the DIY Craft of the Week in W&B.